be disarming.
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” she said. “How about you?”
“I was born in Minnesota, but we moved around a lot, so it’s hard to call anyplace home.”
A glance in the rearview told him that the parked car had pulled out and was now a block and a half or so behind them. He decided to do a little wandering. After cornering a few times, she asked:
“Scenic route?”
“Not exactly. Probably my imagination, but I was curious about a car that’s staying a block behind us. Comes from my days in the military, I gues s. You know, watch your six ‘n’ all.” He turned his head toward her, looking for any reaction, any reaction at all. She looked straight ahead. Funny, he thought. Most people would turn around.
“Not curious?” he said matter-of-factly.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean most people would turn around to see who’s following.”
“Guess I’m not that curious,” she said.
That’s not very convincing , he thought. Not nearly as convincing as you’ve been all evening.
Suddenly he pulled over and stopped. Then he looked in his rea r view. This time she turned around to see the other car pull over about a couple of blocks behind them.
“Who are they?” he said.
“I have no idea,” came the reply.
“Who are they?” he said, this time louder, turning and looking straight at her.
She looked at him like he‘d suddenly lost his mind. He was starting to wonder if he had just blown a fortunate encounter, but it was a little late to think of that now.
“I told you I don’t know and I meant it,” she said quietly but tensely. He desperately wanted to believe that this beautiful woman had really taken a shine to him and those two guys following them were pure coincidence, but he hadn’t made it through combat and a national election by being stupid.
“Don’t lie to me,” he said menacingly. He shoved the shifter into gear and the big car shot forward, it’s tires squealing.
“I want to get out,” she said. There was no reply.
“I said, let me out! Damn it.” He pulled over to the curb.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” he turned to her. “We’re in, what shall I c all it . . . a n unwelcoming area. Perhaps you could hitch a ride home with one of those pimps or crack dealers over there. I’m sure they’d love to help a pretty woman like yourself.” She glanced out the side where a set of gleaming gold teeth framed by a disgusting smile greeted her.
“What do you want?” she said.
“I want to know who you’re working for,” he said. She thought about it for awhile.
“Look, I don’t know who those men are and I’m not working for anyone. I took you for a sympathetic soul and I leaned on your shoulder, that’s all.”
“Save it,” he spat out. “It worked for awhile; actually you were quite good. But it’s over. Make a choice, level with me or face the cons e quences.”
“What consequences?”
“Think it over. You know who I am. If we tool over to DCPD and I tell them you’re a hooker who tried to roll me, who do you think they’re going to believe? I’d bet this month’s salary that if they run you, they’ll come up a list of priors.” He was winging it here, he knew, but he was banking on her being out of her territory and out of her depth.
“You’re full of shit,” she said angrily.”
“How much are they paying you?” he said, more gently now. She thought for awhile, but said nothing. “O.K. Play it that way. He did a tire-squealing huey and burned rubber back the way they’d come, surprising the hell out of the two men who had been following them. As he passed their car, he did his best imitation of a Roger Moore hello wave. He also thought to himself that somehow they didn’t look like they were from Boston .
Where are we going?” she asked.
“DCPD, I told you.”
“I want to speak to my lawyer,” she
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” she said. “How about you?”
“I was born in Minnesota, but we moved around a lot, so it’s hard to call anyplace home.”
A glance in the rearview told him that the parked car had pulled out and was now a block and a half or so behind them. He decided to do a little wandering. After cornering a few times, she asked:
“Scenic route?”
“Not exactly. Probably my imagination, but I was curious about a car that’s staying a block behind us. Comes from my days in the military, I gues s. You know, watch your six ‘n’ all.” He turned his head toward her, looking for any reaction, any reaction at all. She looked straight ahead. Funny, he thought. Most people would turn around.
“Not curious?” he said matter-of-factly.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean most people would turn around to see who’s following.”
“Guess I’m not that curious,” she said.
That’s not very convincing , he thought. Not nearly as convincing as you’ve been all evening.
Suddenly he pulled over and stopped. Then he looked in his rea r view. This time she turned around to see the other car pull over about a couple of blocks behind them.
“Who are they?” he said.
“I have no idea,” came the reply.
“Who are they?” he said, this time louder, turning and looking straight at her.
She looked at him like he‘d suddenly lost his mind. He was starting to wonder if he had just blown a fortunate encounter, but it was a little late to think of that now.
“I told you I don’t know and I meant it,” she said quietly but tensely. He desperately wanted to believe that this beautiful woman had really taken a shine to him and those two guys following them were pure coincidence, but he hadn’t made it through combat and a national election by being stupid.
“Don’t lie to me,” he said menacingly. He shoved the shifter into gear and the big car shot forward, it’s tires squealing.
“I want to get out,” she said. There was no reply.
“I said, let me out! Damn it.” He pulled over to the curb.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” he turned to her. “We’re in, what shall I c all it . . . a n unwelcoming area. Perhaps you could hitch a ride home with one of those pimps or crack dealers over there. I’m sure they’d love to help a pretty woman like yourself.” She glanced out the side where a set of gleaming gold teeth framed by a disgusting smile greeted her.
“What do you want?” she said.
“I want to know who you’re working for,” he said. She thought about it for awhile.
“Look, I don’t know who those men are and I’m not working for anyone. I took you for a sympathetic soul and I leaned on your shoulder, that’s all.”
“Save it,” he spat out. “It worked for awhile; actually you were quite good. But it’s over. Make a choice, level with me or face the cons e quences.”
“What consequences?”
“Think it over. You know who I am. If we tool over to DCPD and I tell them you’re a hooker who tried to roll me, who do you think they’re going to believe? I’d bet this month’s salary that if they run you, they’ll come up a list of priors.” He was winging it here, he knew, but he was banking on her being out of her territory and out of her depth.
“You’re full of shit,” she said angrily.”
“How much are they paying you?” he said, more gently now. She thought for awhile, but said nothing. “O.K. Play it that way. He did a tire-squealing huey and burned rubber back the way they’d come, surprising the hell out of the two men who had been following them. As he passed their car, he did his best imitation of a Roger Moore hello wave. He also thought to himself that somehow they didn’t look like they were from Boston .
Where are we going?” she asked.
“DCPD, I told you.”
“I want to speak to my lawyer,” she
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